From the beginning, horses pulled the early parade “floats” – carriages decorated with flowers.

Motorized floats became a part of the parade in 1901, but they were moved to the rear of the parade so as not to scare the horses.

By 1920, motorized floats powered by electric motors and gas engines had taken the parade over completely. Horses were still allowed, but they weren’t hauling the floats anymore.

– Tournament of Roses

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Bucky, a handsome palomino, marched for 26 years in the Rose Parade.

But July 3 was a sad day for members of the Long Beach Mounted Police when Bucky, one of their own, was badly injured in a trailer accident on Interstate 10 near Blythe and had to be euthanized.

The 30-year-old horse was being transported to be part of the Prescott Frontier Days parade when the accident occurred.

Bucky was born Mr. Right Stuff in 1983 and was a 2-year-old when he marched in his first Rose Parade. He is believed to hold the record for appearing in more Rose Parades than any other horse.

– Linda Fields Gold

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16 entries in the 2014 Rose Parade feature horses.

– Six members of the U.S. Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard will be riding wild mustangs that were adopted through the Bureau of Land Management’s Adopt a Horse and Burro Program.

– The Budweiser Clydesdales are back after a few years off; this will be the team’s 58th appearance and they’ll be pulling a 12-ton gloriously restored red, white and gold beer wagon with the Tournament of Roses President R. Scott Jenkins and his family aboard.